Newsletter No. 231
April 7, 2006

 

Christopher Len (Shingetsu Member No. 82) of Uppsala University in Sweden has pointed out to us an interesting article about Japan-Turkey relations attached to Prime Minister Koizumi’s weekly newsletter. This article was published in two parts on March 30th and April 6th.

---

TURKEY, A CLOSE FRIEND TO JAPAN LOCATED AT THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA

By Yoichi Kanno, Chairman of the Japanese Society of Istanbul

When Prime Minister Koizumi visited Turkey in January this year, he received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the people of Turkey. It is not an overstatement to say that Turkey is the closest friend to Japan among all countries in the world. In surveys, the Turkish people always list Japan as one of the countries they like the most.

Here in Turkey, it is a well-known story that the crew on board the Frigate Ertugrul that wrecked off the coast of Wakayama in the Meiji Era were under the hospitable care of the people of Wakayama. The people of Turkey have not forgotten about the favor Turkey received from the Japanese people at this time. During the Iran-Iraq War, Turkey lent a hand to help the alienated Japanese nationals living in Tehran escape by flying a special flight piloted by Mr. Ali Ozdemir, heedless of the danger.

During his visit, Prime Minister Koizumi met with former pilot Ali and expressed his gratitude. This became big news among the Turkish people, and it seems that they regard Japan with even more positive feelings. These feelings are rooted in the history and culture shared by Japan and Turkey, rather than their admiration for the Japanese high-tech goods.

Do you know that there are synagogues and Greek Orthodox churches in Istanbul? Freedom of religion was recognized by the Ottoman Turks, and this tradition still lives on in this part of the world. In Turkey, guests are treated to a cup of tea even during the month of Ramadan, although as many followers of Islam they refrain from consuming any beverages. The Turkish peoples' tolerant attitude towards other religions is astounding.

President Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of modern Turkey, pressed for the separation of church and state approximately 80 years ago. Islam and democracy are indeed well-balanced in this country. Although religious conflicts are giving rise to serious issues in the world at present, I believe Turkey is resolving these issues skillfully. It may well be that this is where lies the secret to the rule of the Ottoman Turks who continued to maintain one of world's great empires for over 400 years.

It is often said that Turkey has an important standing geopolitically, but it is after I began living here that I actually came to realize this. The Bosporus Straits is the only sea route that links the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea.

While Turkey is currently applying to become a member of the European Union (EU), it has strong cultural and economic ties with the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) zone and the countries bordering the Caspian Sea in Central Asia, the Balkans and the Middle East, in addition to European countries. The Bosporus Straits is an essential route for transporting energy resources from Russia and Kazakhstan, and I am sure Turkey will play more important role as a transit country for the flow of substantial energy resources which will be produced in Central Asia and exported to consuming countries.

Turkey is literally situated at the center of this region. It must not be forgotten that this vital friend of Japan occupies an extremely important location, sharing borders with many countries such as Iraq, Syria and Iran.

Turkey is by no means a nation bogged down in the past glories of the Ottoman Empire. It is forecasted that Turkey will develop into a major consumer market, based on its population of over 70 million, which is larger than that of any European country except Germany, and its dynamic economic growth. Moreover, Turkey's present administration is powerfully promoting reforms and energetically carrying out the privatization of state enterprises.

At one time, the Turkish economy was described as a roller coaster economy due to the country's chronic economic instability. It used to be said that although Turkey had an enormous potential for economic growth, an unstable political climate and erratic policies were conspiring to bring the economy down. In recent years, however, with the goal of eventually joining the EU firmly in its sights, Turkey has been practicing a consistent policy and it is expected that this will result in the country's stable economic growth into the future.

Recently, the spotlight has been on Turkey as a manufacturing base for automobiles and home appliances for the European market. The Turkish people are traditionally an equestrian people, but it is said that they have also been engaged in manufacturing since long ago. Maybe this background is what makes the Turkish people well suited for modern manufacturing industries. Turkish products consistently obtain good reputation for their high quality.

The advances of Japanese companies in Turkey are also conspicuous. In 2005, a leading Japanese carmaker's local affiliate became Turkey's number-one exporter for the second successive year. A Japanese company is also currently working on the construction of a tunnel beneath the Bosporus, supported by financing from Japanese public funds. Furthermore, the Second Bosporus Bridge, which has become a symbol of Istanbul and about 40 percent of the thermoelectric power generation capacity of the Turkish state-owned electric power company were built by Japanese companies and funded by Japanese capital.

Turkey is a major agricultural country as well. Looked at in terms of the production volume of various produce, Turkey is ranked the world's fourth largest producer of olive oil, the second largest producer of pasta products such as spaghetti, the world's number-one producer of dried fruits, and so on. I wonder how many of you know for instance that a quarter of all the tomatoes used to make tomato ketchup in Japan are grown in Turkey.

Moreover, it seems that the other countries of East Asia are positioning Turkey as an important country within their international strategies.

China is exporting consumer goods to Turkey, such as competitively priced textile products and air conditioners, and recently it undertook the export of heavy machineries and power generation equipment as well. Also, with respect to the securing of energy resources in Central Asia, China is now extremely aggressive in securing gas and crude oil and taking various measures in rapid concession and is in competition with Russia and Western countries who wish to transport crude oil and gas to the West via Turkey and through the Bosporus.

The government and the private sector in the Republic of Korea (ROK) are working hand-in-hand in their attempts to make inroads into Turkey. The ROK's leading carmaker has established a Turkish production base, and companies of the ROK are positively engaged in the railway sector, too.

It is essential that the Japanese people should fully aware of the strategic importance of Turkey, which stands at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Those who are working in Turkey are trying to develop businesses that can make a positive contribution to the Turkish economy by introducing Japanese advanced technology and capital so as to strengthen further the ties between our two nations.